Phonograph-starting device



C. H. GIBBONS AND J. P. CLEAL.

PHONOGRAPH STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION men MAY I6, 1919.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET Inventors. 69V. 0am f. 6M

C. H. GIBBONS AND J. P. CLEAL. PHONOGRAPH STARTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1919.

1,338,365. Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' jects of the King panying drawings,

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HARRISON GIBBONS AI ID JOSEPH P. CLEA L, 0F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

PHONOGRAPH-STARTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Applicationfiled May 16, 1919. SerialNo. $297,611;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES HAnmsoN GIBBoN's and J OSEPH PACY CLEAL, both subof Great Britain, and

residents of the cit of Toronto, county of 'York, Province of ntario, in the Domlnion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonograph-Starting Devices, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accomthat form part of the same.

The principal objects of this invention are, to insure the proper lacing of the reproducer of a phonograp upon the record so as to obviate the spoiling of the record through the slurring of the point across 1t and to insure the piece being started at the beginning and further to prevent the injurly of the delicate reproducer po nts.

he principal feature of the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the reproducer in part section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view showing the reproducer point resting upon the 10- eating member, the record and supporting, disk being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing a modified form of the device.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

The undesirable features incident to starting phonograph records are well known and it is extremely desirable to provide a device which will insure the proper placing of the reproducer point uponthe first groove of the record and which will relieve the operator from the necessity of the excessive care at present necessary.

The device herein shown consists of a frame 1 mounted on a base 2 which is sebeingpivotally connected at one end by a bolt or rivet connection 3. -One end of the frame is formed with a pair of uprights 4 and 5 in the upper ends of which is slidably and rotatably supported a spindle 6.

To the inner end of the spindle 6 is secured a spirally grooved tapered member 7 which forms the operative member for placing the reproducer point. The inner end is adapted to be adjusted to register with the outer groove of the phonograph record so that upon the rotation of the spindle the reproducer point will be carried inwardly and gradually. lowered so that when the reproducer reaches the inward end it slips off into the first groove and the playing of the piece commences.

The spindle 6 is rotated by means of a bevel gear 8 journaled in the upright 4 of the frame being slidably keyed to the spindle. An indicator guide in the form of a flat strip of metal 9 is slidably arranged in slots in the upper ends of the uprights 4 and 5 and the inward end is bent downwardly and loosely encircles the spindle and its lower extremity 10 is bent inwardly and projects opposite to the inner .end of the member 7. The inner edge of the guide extends close to the phonograph record 11 and enables the person setting the device to gage the exact location of the first groove.

The outward end 12 of the spindle is formed with a succession of parallel grooves forming a rack and a transversely arranged spindle 13 is provided with a toothed wheel 14 engaging said rack to enable the spindle being quickly adjusted to 'suit different diameters of records.

Ahorizontal extension 15 of the upright 5 is formed with a pair of lugs 16 and 17 supporting the s indle 13, said spindle being provided wit 1 a thumb nut 18.

A lug 19 extends inwardly from the top of the horizontal extension 15 and forms the upper journal for an upright spindle 20 which carries a rubber surfaced driving wheel 21 which is adapted to engage the flanged periphery of the disk wheel 22 of the phonograph.

The wheel 21 is held in contact with the disk wheel by means of a coil tension s ring 23 secured at one end to the pivotal ame 1 and at the other end to a lug 24 on the base.

A shaft 25 is journaled at one end 1n a downwardly extending lug 26 forming part of the lug 19 and at the other end in a lug 27 forming part of the upright 4. ThlS shaft is provided with a bevel ear 28 meshing with the bevel gear 8 and? at the other end has a bevel gear 29 meshing with the gear 30 on the upright spindle 20. The rotation of the wheel 21 is thus transmitted to the spindle 6 and rotates the tapered member 7 In the use of this device, when a record .is placed upon the disk wheel 22 the thumb nut 18 is rotated to slide the spindle 6 in its bearings inwardly or outwardly until the extremity 10 of the guide 9 coincides with the outer groove of the record.

On the starting of the disk Wheel the wheel 21 is rotated and it is then-merely necessary to drop the reproducer needle into contact with the tapered member 7 and the rotation of the tapered grooved surface carries the reproducer inwardly until as it reaches its point it drops into the groove.

. This device entirely eliminates the necessity of the operator finding 'the groove with the reproducer point when the machine has been started and as the tapered member 7 is of considerable length it is quiteeasily located.

The tapered member is so arranged that it carriesthe reproducer into position lowering it gradually until when at the point it merely slips into the groove. The reproducer point is thus protected from injury through careless handling and dropping into place upon the record and the record is also protected. I A device such as described is extremely simple, can be applied to any phonograph without interfering with any other part of the machine and does not damage itin any way.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a U-shaped frame 31 is secured to a base bracket 32 and carries at its upper end the spindle 33 which .is identical in structure with the spindle 6 and slides in a bevel gear 34 corresponding with the gear 8. A vertical spindle 35 is journaled in the bracket 32 and carries at its upper end a bevel gear 36 which meshes with the gear 34. This spindle is driven by a belt 37 operated from the driving mechanism and extends around a pulley 38 secured to the lower end of the spindle.

A gear wheel 39 is carried on a short spindle supported in bearings from a lug'40 on the frame 31 and meshes with the rack end of the spindle 33.

The needle may be uided directly by the spirally grooved mem er on the inner end of the spindle 33 but a bracket 41 is here shown secured to the reproducerr This bracket is of a jaw shape havin a wire 42 stretched between the ends of the jaw and this wire is adapted to rest upon the grooved placing member and guides the reproducer into place.

What we claim as our invention is 1. In a phonograph starting device, the combination with the reproducer, of a member extending over the record carrying member in a fixed position adapted to support the reproducer and to carr it inwardly and deposit it upon the recor 2. In a phonograph startingdevice, the combination with the reproducer, of a rotatable member supported in a fixed posi tion and extending over the record carrying member adapted to support the reproducer and to carry it inwardly and deposit it upon the record.

3. In a phonograph starting device, the combination with the reproducer, of a grooved tapered member adapted to be rotated to carry the reproducer inwardly and deposit it upon the record.

4. In a phonograph starting device, the combination with the reproducer, of a frame mounted upon the phonograph adjacent to the phonograph disk wheel, a spindle horizontally journaled in said frame, a spirally grooved member secured to the inner end of said spindle and extending over the honograph record, means for rotating sai spindle, and means for adjusting said spindle in relation to the recor 5. A phonograph starting device, comprising, a frame pivotally secured at one end adjacent to the phonograph disk wheel, a vertical spindle journaled in said frame having a-Wheel engaging the periphery of the disk wheel, a spring connected to the pivotal frame and holding said wheel in operative contact with the disk wheel, a spindle horizontally journaled'in said frame and operatively connected with said vertical spindle, and a spirally grooved member secured to the inner end of the spindle adapted to deposit the reproducer upon the record.

6. A phonograph starting device, comprising, a frame pivotally secured .at one end adjacent to the phonograph disk wheel, a vertical spindle journaled in said frame having-a wheel engaging the periphery of the disk wheel, a spindle horizontally and slidably journaled in said frame and operatively connected with said vertical spindle, a spirally grooved member secured to the inner end of said spindle and extending over the phonograph record, and means for adjusting said horizontal spindle longitudinally of its bearings.

. 7. A phonograph starting device, comprising, a frame pivotally secured at one end adjacent to the phonogra h disk wheel, a vertical spindle journale in said frame having a wheel engaging the periphery of the disk wheel, a spindle horizontally and slidably journaled in said frame and operatively connected With said vertical spindle and having rack teeth on the outer end, a horizontally journaled spindle. arranged transversely of the sliding spindle and having a toothed wheel thereon engaging the rack portion of said spindle, a spirally grooved member secured to the inner end of said spindle, and an indicator point car-' 10 ried by said spindle and extending close to the record. CHARLES HARRISON GIBBONS.

J OSlilPI-I P. CLEAL. 

